ECHA has indicated their intention to submit a proposal restricting Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCP). MCCP were added to the REACH Candidate List this past July and are used as a flame retardant and /or plasticizer in some EEE components. The IEC 62474 DSL lists the typical EEE applications / uses as: “Flame retardant and / or plasticizer in PVC and rubber, paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, textiles and fabric”
ECHA intends to submit the restriction proposal by July 26, 2022 and has suggested the scope of restriction as “Restricting the manufacture, use or placing on the market of MCCP”.
MCCP restriction in EEE is also expected in the next update to the RoHS Directive (RoHS 3) and the UK has submitted a proposal for listing MCCP in the Annexes to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
In technical terms, MCCP is a substance group of UVCB substances consisting of more than or equal to 80% linear chloroalkanes with carbon chain lengths within the range from C14 to C17. ECHA has provide five member substances in the group (see Table 1).
Table 1: Members of MCCP Substance Group
| Name | EC no. | CAS no. |
|---|---|---|
| di-, tri- and tetrachlorotetradecane | 950-299-5 | - |
| Alkanes, C14-16, chloro | - | 1372804-76-6 |
| Alkanes, C14-17, chloro | 287-477-0 | 85535-85-9 |
| Tetradecane, chloro derivs. | - | 198840-65-2 |
| Chlorinated paraffins with carbon chain lengths in the range C14-17 and chlorination levels at or exceeding 45 per cent chlorine by weight | - | - |
The registry of restriction intentions is available on the ECHA website[1].
[1] Registry of restriction intentions, https://echa.europa.eu/registry-of-restriction-intentions